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Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Australia

Australia: Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people was 22.28 per 100 people in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
22.28 per 100 people
Change on year
down 8.9%
World rank
55th
of 212 countries
All-time high
53.07 per 100 people
in 2002
All-time low
15.18 per 100 people
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024

Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Australia, 1960–2024

20304050196019922024

Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in per 100 people.

Analysis

In 2024, landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Australia stood at 22.28 per 100 people.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.9% on the previous year and down 42.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Australia peaked at 53.07 per 100 people in 2002 and was at its lowest, 15.18 per 100 people, in 1960.

Australia ranks 55th of 212 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.

Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Australia, year by year

Year per 100 people Change
1960 15.18 per 100 people —
1961 15.25 per 100 people +0.4%
1962 15.25 per 100 people +0.0%
1963 15.25 per 100 people +0.0%
1964 15.25 per 100 people +0.0%
1965 17.69 per 100 people +16.0%
1966 17.77 per 100 people +0.4%
1967 17.77 per 100 people +0.0%
1968 17.77 per 100 people +0.0%
1969 17.77 per 100 people +0.0%
1970 21.47 per 100 people +20.8%
1971 21.14 per 100 people -1.5%
1972 21.14 per 100 people +0.0%
1973 21.14 per 100 people +0.0%
1974 21.14 per 100 people +0.0%
1975 25.48 per 100 people +20.6%
1976 26.36 per 100 people +3.4%
1977 27.53 per 100 people +4.4%
1978 29.02 per 100 people +5.4%
1979 30.64 per 100 people +5.6%
1980 32.25 per 100 people +5.2%
1981 33.95 per 100 people +5.3%
1982 35.31 per 100 people +4.0%
1983 36.35 per 100 people +2.9%
1984 37.55 per 100 people +3.3%
1985 39.19 per 100 people +4.4%
1986 40.6 per 100 people +3.6%
1987 41.92 per 100 people +3.3%
1988 42.91 per 100 people +2.4%
1989 44.18 per 100 people +2.9%
1990 45.5 per 100 people +3.0%
1991 46.4 per 100 people +2.0%
1992 47.1 per 100 people +1.5%
1993 48.2 per 100 people +2.3%
1994 49.4 per 100 people +2.5%
1995 49.2 per 100 people -0.4%
1996 50.1 per 100 people +1.8%
1997 50.5 per 100 people +0.8%
1998 51 per 100 people +1.0%
1999 51.6 per 100 people +1.2%
2000 52.53 per 100 people +1.8%
2001 51.95 per 100 people -1.1%
2002 53.07 per 100 people +2.2%
2003 52.78 per 100 people -0.6%
2004 51.73 per 100 people -2.0%
2005 49.87 per 100 people -3.6%
2006 48.27 per 100 people -3.2%
2007 46.58 per 100 people -3.5%
2008 43.85 per 100 people -5.9%
2009 49.16 per 100 people +12.1%
2010 47.99 per 100 people -2.4%
2011 47.03 per 100 people -2.0%
2012 45.82 per 100 people -2.6%
2013 44.54 per 100 people -2.8%
2014 38.95 per 100 people -12.6%
2015 35.49 per 100 people -8.9%
2016 34.85 per 100 people -1.8%
2017 34.21 per 100 people -1.9%
2018 32.64 per 100 people -4.6%
2019 24.33 per 100 people -25.5%
2020 21.19 per 100 people -12.9%
2021 25.88 per 100 people +22.1%
2022 24.46 per 100 people -5.5%
2023 24.47 per 100 people +0.0%
2024 22.28 per 100 people -8.9%

Australia compared with similar countries

  • Australia's 22.28 per 100 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 24.32 per 100 people, 92% of the median. (82 countries reporting)
  • Australia's 22.28 per 100 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10.82 per 100 people, 2.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2019 -25.5% 32.64 per 100 people 24.33 per 100 people

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 16.49 per 100 people 15.18 per 100 people 17.77 per 100 people 10
1970s 24.5 per 100 people 21.14 per 100 people 30.64 per 100 people 10
1980s 38.42 per 100 people 32.25 per 100 people 44.18 per 100 people 10
1990s 48.9 per 100 people 45.5 per 100 people 51.6 per 100 people 10
2000s 49.98 per 100 people 43.85 per 100 people 53.07 per 100 people 10
2010s 38.59 per 100 people 24.33 per 100 people 47.99 per 100 people 10
2020s 23.66 per 100 people 21.19 per 100 people 25.88 per 100 people 5

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 52 Bahamas 23.2 per 100 people compare
  2. 53 Malaysia 23.11 per 100 people compare
  3. 54 Mexico 22.56 per 100 people compare
  4. 56 Netherlands 21.81 per 100 people compare
  5. 57 Belgium 21.18 per 100 people compare
  6. 58 Tuvalu 21.15 per 100 people compare

See the full ranking of 212 places →

More reference data data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Australia?
Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Australia was 22.28 per 100 people in 2024, according to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest landline phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 53.07 per 100 people in 2002.
What is the lowest landline phone subscriptions per 100 people recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 15.18 per 100 people in 1960.
How does Australia rank for landline phone subscriptions per 100 people?
Australia ranks 55th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
Is landline phone subscriptions per 100 people rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 42.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/fixed-telephone-subscriptions-per-100-people-2/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Landline phone subscriptions per 100 people
Unit
per 100 people
Source
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
212 places, 11,787 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed